Lugar Essay Contest Winners

District Winners Announced for Farm Bureau Essay Contest 01/31/2011

Twenty Indiana eighth-graders have been selected as finalists in the essay contest sponsored by Sen. Richard Lugar, Indiana Farm Bureau Inc. and Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance. A total of 1,011 students from 43 counties participated in this year's contest. One boy and girl were chosen from each of Indiana Farm Bureau’s 10 districts after winning at the county level. Two state winners, one boy and one girl, will be announced at the IFB Spring Conference, which will be held in Indianapolis on March 11 and 12. Each of the finalists wins a $50 U.S. Savings Bond while the state winners will also receive an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. “Agriculture: Then and Now” is the theme for the youth essay contest, according to IFB 2nd Vice President Isabella Chism. Chism chairs the Women’s Leadership Committee, which is in charge of the annual contest. The contest began in 1985 and is designed to increase young Hoosiers’ awareness of the significance of Indiana agriculture, how it relates to the supply of food and fuel and to their health.
The finalists are listed below.•
District 1: Gabrielle Carlson of Valparaiso, attends Victory Christian Academy, daughter of Jamie and Peter Carlson; Quinn McGovern of Winamac, attends Winamac Middle School, son of Michael and Cheryl McGovern.•
District 2: Katie Lopshire of Angola, attends Angola Middle School, daughter of Greg and Denise Lopshire; William Joseph Rockey of Albion, attends Central Noble Middle School, son of Shannon and Elizabeth Rockey.•
District 3: Shelbi Perry of Chalmers, attends Frontier Jr. High, daughter of Brian and Christi Perry; Dakota Burghardt of Monticello, attends Frontier Jr. High, son of Michel and Jason Burghardt.•
District 4: Rachel Girod of Decatur, attends Bellmont Middle School, daughter of Howard J. and Deborah L. Girod; Nathan Chou of Kokomo, attends Northwestern Middle School, son of Tom and Nellie Chou. •
District 5: Kiersten Mundy of Poland, attends Cloverdale Middle School, daughter of Rebecca Mundy; Shane Slaven of Rockville, attends Rockville Jr/Sr High School, son of Kyle and Jill Slaven.•
District 6: Katie Pfaff of Lewisville, attends Tri Jr/Sr High School, daughter of Jeff and Sherri Pfaff; Max Keller of Indianapolis, attends Immaculate Heart of Mary, son of Dave and Jenny Keller.•
District 7: Easton Booe of Centerpoint, attends Clay City Jr/Sr High School, son of Christopher and Christina Booe; Whitney Halfhill of Brazil, attends North Clay Middle School, daughter of Dennis and Marlene Halfhill.•
District 8: Josh Orschell of Brookville, attends St. Michael School, son of Greg and Mindy Orschell; Alexis J. Carmony of Falmouth, attends Connersville Middle School, daughter of Addam and Jill Carmony.•
District 9: Anna Hagedorn of Ferdinand, attends Forest Park Jr./Sr. High School, daughter of Fred and Belle Ann Hagedorn; Collin Bowlin of Jasper, attends Jasper Middle School, son of Barry and Bonnie Bowlin.•
District 10: Amber Moore of Florence, attends Switzerland Co. Middle School, daughter of Bert Moore and Sandra Maples; Clayton Pottschmidt of Seymour, attends Immanuel Lutheran, son of Dale and Teresa Pottschmidt.